Meet the 2020 Scholars

"What do you believe is the greatest unaddressed patient need in the CF community, and if you could, how would you try to fix it? Who would you partner with (e.g. public figure, organization) to help fix the issue and why?"

Living with cystic fibrosis has many obstacles, but one of the greatest challenges to overcome is the cost of medications and treatments. As cystic fibrosis is typically known as a fatal illness, we now have groundbreaking treatments that could completely alter the disease. Rapid medical breakthroughs are allowing cystic fibrosis patients to live longer than ever before. While this is exciting and promising, insurance benefits have not advanced at the same pace. People with poor or no insurance, cannot afford all of the treatments and medications that could prolong their life. If given the opportunity to fix this problem, I would like to create a task force comprised of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, doctors, legislators, pharmaceutical representatives, and insurance companies to lower the costs of medications and make health care more accessible and affordable. I would like to create a plan to educate the public that cystic fibrosis can be a manageable condition and not a fatal disease. I would also like to show that people with cystic fibrosis could be a great addition to the workforce and that we are productive members in society. Together we can change the negative stigma surrounding cystic fibrosis that I have felt my whole life.